Franklin (1706-1790) composed the following "Epitaph on Himself" in 1728: The body of Benjamin Franklin, Printer (like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stripped of its lettering and gilding), lies here, food for worms; but the work shall not be lost, for it will (as he believed) appear once more in a new and more elegant edition, revised and corrected by the Author. When Ben was 22 years old he wrote an epitaph for himself, but, later in life, he changed his mind and left instructions in his Last Will and Testament that only the simple inscription below be used. Benjamin and Deborah Franklin: 1790